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Last week we covered the top paying nurse specialty, certified RN anesthetists. This week, we move on to the second highest paid nursing specialty…drum roll, please…orthopedics!
These nurses, who have earned the designation “ONC,” or Orthopedic Nurse Certified, earn between $76,000 and $129,000 a year. You’ll need to be certified and gain extensive critical care experience in order to reign in one of these high-paying gigs.
This specialty for those who aren’t familiar, focuses on the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. This ranges from problems with chronic system disorders to Lupus to joint replacement or fractures. Nurses in this field will be skilled at neurovascular status monitoring, passive motion therapy, casting, traction and external fixation. Sounds like a super important gig to us! We especially love that the whole thing was kicked off by one awesome lady named Agnes Hunt, who you should look into if you’re not familiar with her career.
Thinking about looking more into this particular field? Check out the Orthopedic Nursing Certification Board website for more information, including a description of the exam. If you’re already a nurse working in this field, please let us know in the comments if we left out anything for others who might be interested in moving forward, or at least learning more.
